Baked Tapes: NEW RELEASES

The new batch of Baked Tapes releases came out this past winter, and I'm sorry I neglected them for this long.  It's been nearly two years since they released the last batch and all of these are strong releases.  You can check them all out on bandcamp http://bakedtapes.bandcamp.com/. I'm short on time here, so I'm just going to copy/paste from the label's website, but all of these come recommended, and for goodness sakes, pick up the Grasshopper and Telecult Powers LPs while your at it.

http://www.thebakeryfloor.com/bt/

OPPONENTS "Thought Control" c52

OPPONENTS didn't come here to make friends. They're not looking to talk gear. They came to kick the piss out of some synthesizers, and are doing it whether or not you're ready for it. Synthesis in it's rawest form. This is about survival, not crystal pendents. The next brood in line culled from the long standing hatefuck between punk rock and control voltage that has its seeds strewn deep throughout the gutters of New York past.

LONG DISTANCE POISON "Rare Human" c42
Greenpoint Brooklyn trio Long Distance Poison bring two monumental slabs of primordial synthesis to a fresh brew here with "Rare Human". Pulling itself from the bubbling murk of ancient ponds onto the banks of the dawn of civilization, a soundtrack to life's first glimpses up to the limitless heavens.

ANDREW SCOTT YOUNG "Warm White Light" c32
Self-described as his "God-Bless-America-Mr. Holland's-Opus-Style tribute" to his high school orchestra teacher, the collision of strings, piano, voice, reeds, percussion and fireworks erupting over the A-Side feels like the chance meeting of Crumb, Partch, Penderecki and Ives; sipping highballs and puffing pipes, hillside, on a breezy July 4th evening. Side B sees Young go electric of sorts with sideways boogies and left-footed shuffles in a new vision of absolutely fucked "dance hits".

HEAD BOGGLE "Backed Tape" c29
To say Derek Gedalecia marches to the beat of his own LFO would be an understatement. In an era where the sudden renewed infatuation with the synthesizer has led to an endless supply of formulaic sound-alike projects, Head Boggle stands alone, miles from where anyone else dare venture. The beautifully disorienting sounds Gedalecia conjures recalls the ever elusive x-factor guiding the forefathers of electronic music and concrete before him, and seemingly lost in that of any of his contemporaries - a sense of wonder, the wanderlust for experimentation and the sheer brilliance of the spark of possibility.

DADS AGAINST VIETNAM "Courage" c27
Far from the dreamy "world of tomorrow" utopian optimism the futurists hoped for, or bleak uniformity of the robotic age and conveyor-belt societies it feared, Josh Millrod (Grasshopper, Hexbreaker Quartet) sends us a completely different report back from the future, and shit's damaged! The sky and oceans run prismatic with the pollutants and discharge of centuries of neglect and shareholder-driven compromise. The nuclear winds have left this rock nearly uninhabitable, aside from those prosperous enough to vacate, leaving the rest to otherwise adapt or perish. These are their folk-songs.

WIZARD AMPS "Ice Guitar" C40 (Baked Tapes)

Great drone from the Grasshopper dudes, Jesse DeRosa and Josh Milrod, plus Slaser Risk shredder Andy Borsz playing what I believe to be heavily processed guitars and keys. They told me this was a "blues" tape, but aside from a moment or two that recalls a half second of a guitar lick on cough syrup, I fail to see the connection. That being said, this is the best "blues" tape I've heard in awhile. If you've ever found it hard to write about drone music then you'll understand why I ain't exactly putting out the adjectives. But trust, this is good. These guys totally wowed me the other weekend with an intensely beauteous trumpet/electronics trio set as Hex Breaker Quartet with Telecut Powers/High School Confidential mastermind Mr. Matthews in tow. Doesn't seem like the Baked Tapes site has been updated of late, but you can contact Mr. Jesse at bakedtapes@gmail to procure this and other fine releases. The new Tiger Hatchery tape is pretty hot too.

WASTELAND JAZZ UNIT/(D)(B)(H) "Split" c40 [Baked Tapes]

This was a good match up by Baked Tapes as WJU and DBH are two of the more interesting “improv” acts out there right now. The Wasteland Jazz side features the duo of Jon and John--on sax and clarinet, respectively, played through a shit-fucking-ton of distortion--absolutely burning as usual this time with the addition of a percussionist. The first part of the sidelong piece “Box Breaker” has something that sounds like a sequenced synthesizer puttering away. I’ve never encountered that on a WJU track before and to be honest I don’t necessarily like it. It’s not so much a matter of harming the piece as just not doing anything for it, it remains pretty static and undynamic and lets the reeds do all the work. They can totally handle it though. The sax and clarinet are as unstatic and dynamic as ever and they are just tearing the house down. Skyscrapers crumble, helicopters infest the sky, these are the sounds of a warzone. The second part of the side notches itself a lot deeper into the red and its some of the most brutal, scathing, NOISY!!!! action from these guys yet. Just motherfucking relentless. Listening to this right now makes me wonder why I don’t have more of their stuff in my collection. These players are total fire, the kind that can actually burn you. Oh, the percussion? I think I heard a cymbal or two through the feedback barrage. Possibly.
Whereas WJU’s contribution was complete pummel, (D)amaged(B)achelor(H)ood contributes a looser improv piece heavy on guitar strings. DBH is Justin Rhody’s junk-improv act which features him and a revolving cast of characters (who all often play multiple instruments) so you literally never know what you’re gonna get. I don’t like this track, “What We Do is Rumor,” as much as the other DBH tape I have, but its certainly got an interesting vibe. Somewhere between jazz and drone the piece lumbers along in murky one-track cassette recorder hell. Sometimes laying low, sometimes getting cranky with feedback , sometimes letting Rhody loose on the trumpet. The not-bad-but-not-great recording quality hampers the jam a little bit though, as all the nuances of group’s playing don’t really shine through. Still it’s a nice one to throw on if your in the mood for some murky freedom blues. It’s definitely an act worth following though, for the pure unpredictability of it if nothing else.
Pitch-perfect photo by J. Rhody on the cover too.

Wasteland Jazz Unit
(D)(B)(H)
Grab it from the bakery floor

SLASHER RISK "Chillers" c64 (Baked Tapes)

Slasher Risk are awesome. And while I’m still waiting patiently for them to record and release a full-on rock n roll LP (you know that would fucking rule) I’m content to listen to them disregard all the rules when it comes to sound pollution.
This cassette on Baked Tapes, the imprint of Jesse DeRosa of Grasshopper, the best trumpet duo you’ll ever hear by the way, is a heavy, hour-plus, unbridled brick of volume. Window-rattling, wall-shaking volume; at least I’m assuming the windows were rattling and the walls were shaking wherever this thunder was recorded. The title is a red herring, case you didn’t notice. The Slasher Risk cocktail Chillers is 1 part drums, 1 part guitar and, I don’t know, 4 or 5 parts feedback. I’m pretty sure this is a single live set which is pretty insane too. I don’t know what more to say really, these guys are good and they’re loud. If you don’t know ‘em, fix that.
Now where’s that rock n roll record?
Still available from the label.

Baked Tapes
Slasher Risk <--- Check out the track "Brooklyn" here for evidence of how bad ass a Slasher Risk rock and roll record would be. Do I need to start a petition or something? jeez...

GRASSHOPPER "Kindertotenlieder" c22 (Baked Tapes)

I don't know if you call it serendipity or 'the noise scene being tiny' but just saw these guys played live out here in western mass and really enjoyed it, got a few tapes from Jesse who runs Baked Tapes outta new york and when I got home I said "should listen to some cassette gods jams" and sure enough, top of the damn pile, there's a tape by these guys. Jammed the tape and, though different from their live set, still really enjoyed it.

Grasshopper is a duo both using trumpet and electronics and though brass / wind instruments have been establishing some pretty solid footing in the 'noise' scene the last few years, these guys approach it less from the lineage of free jazz. Well, that's probably not fair at all but they apply a lot less skronk to their palate amd in some parts there are even suggestions of melody or at least the phrasing is consistent enough that you know there's a rhyme to their crime and for me it was a great combination. The timbre of a couple of fucked up inharmonious horns mixed with the 'warmth' of their electronics (which it seemed was often sourced from their horns) was a solid match.

I'm sort of writing interchangeably about their live show and tape because the cumulative effect was similar though it's worth mentioning that the tape is a bit more subdued and the listening is a little more long form. Good stuff both on magnetic tape and in yr face, check em out if possible.

Real nice 'metal' artwork and lettering printed black on vellum.
Not up on the Baked Tapes site yet, but check back or just write to him!
http://www.thebakeryfloor.com/bt/

and their myspace for some sound clips, etc.
www.myspace.com/karlmalonelarrybird